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CHARLES A. SMITH AND FRED.v D. SMITH,`CCF NEW CARLISLE, INDIANA- I PATE-NT OFFICE.

SAIIIFBED. D. SMITH ASSIGNOB 'TOCHARLES A. SMITH.

EARTH EXCAVATOR ND CONVEYER.

SPEGIIEICATIONv forming part of Letters Patent No. 253,896, dated February 21, 1882.

` Application filed January 3, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES A. SMITH and FRED. D. SMITH, of New Carlisle, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Earth Excavators and Conveyers, ot' which the following, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification. In the drawings, Figure 1 is aside elevation 1o of an earth excavator and conveyer embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical central section taken longitudinally through one of the excavator-buckets and that part of the indei; 5 pendent endless apron or belt serving as a temporary bottom for the buckets; and Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section in the plane of theline a' :v of Fig. 3, viewed in the direction indicated by the arrow there shown.f zo

Some soils-such as wet earth and clay-are liable to stick in or adhere to the scoops orv shovels of excavators, and so impede the work intended to be performed. Our object is to 2 5 obviate this objection; and our invention consists in the means, substantially as hereinafter set forth, which we employ for that purpose.

A represents the frame, which consists ot'a suitable base, of uprights each successively l3o longer than the other, and of an inclined top portion, as shown.

B is a sprocket-wheel journaled in the lower or forward end or part of the frame, and C is a spocket-wheel journaled in the upper or rear part or end of the frame.

D is also a sprocket-wheel, turning in bearings located a little way below or forward of the wheel C.

E is a chute located partly underneath the 4o sprocket l).

F is an endless sprocketchain, consisting of centrally-open links a a. This chain lpasses over the wheels B, C, and Dand over supporting rollers or wheels G G. It will be perceived that only one ot' the sprocket-wheels-B, for example-need be driven in order to drive the chain F, in which case the others may serve as mere rests or supports, which will be driven by the chain. The direction of movement is 5o indicated by the arrows shown in Fig. 1.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts.'

H H are the scoops, shovels, or buckets. These shovels or buckets have open fronts and bottoms. In other respects they are closedthat is to say, the ends which enter the earth in excavating are open, and the partswhich are then uppermost,- but are lowest while the earth is being conveyed away, are also open. We deem it best, in order to prevent the earth from sticking to the sides of the buckets, to makethe sides flaring, as shown in Fig. 4. A bucket or scoop H is attached to each alternate link a, or, in other words, thebuckets are arranged at suitable distances from each other, and perform the work of excavating, as will be understood, while they are moving underneath the wheel B, and the function of buckets while moving therefrom toward the wheelD.

I is an endless apron or belt arranged underheath the chain F, or between it andthe sprocket-wheels, as shown. This apron or beltpasses over the sprocket-wheels B and D, but not over the sprocket-wheel C. It therefore passes over a shorter circuit than that ot the chain F. The apron or belt I we make of metallic links kb b, hinged together at their meeting edges, and corresponding in length and width to the shovels or buckets H H. These plates serve as automatically-detachable bottoms for the shovels or buckets H H respectively while the latter are performing the function of conveyers, and are adapted to move along with the buckets as the drive-wheel is rotated. They also meet the buckets at the proper time, but in other respects the chain F and its scoops or buckets are entirely independent of the apron or belt l. We also turn up the edges of the plates or bottoms b b, as is clearly shown at c in Figs. 3 and 4, so that they will overlap or receive the lower edge of the buckets, thus preventing the latter from slipping laterally, and more securely closing the bottoms thereof while the earth is being carried toward the sprocketwheel D. We deem it best to round oi' or bevel the adjacent endsof the tlangesc c, as shown at c', so that these ends will not interfere with each other in case of the sagging of the parts carrying the load.

Itwill now be perceived that the scoops, shovels, or buckets H H will perform the function of scoops or shovels and scoop or shovel 100 up the earth While they pass underneath the wheel B; that the apron or belt I will automatically meet the buckets in time to close the bottoms thereof and support the earth therein While they move from the sprocket-Wheel B to the Wheel D; that as the belt or apron I moves around thewheel D it automatically leaves the buckets H H, thus rendering them bottom- 1ess,.and that the earth will then fall by its own gravity into the chute E, which in turn will deliver it at any desired point or place. The movement of the belt or apron I around the wheel D also tends to throw the earth into the chute E.

To accomplish these results by means substantially such as shown and non7 described is the object of our invention,and we do not here intend to restrict ourselves to mere details of construction; but,

Having thus described our invention, what We claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Ihe combination, in an earth excavator and conveyer, of an endless chain, F, carrying bottomless scoops, shovels, or buckets E wheels B and C carrying the chain F, and the wheels B and D carrying the belt I, all arranged substantially as shown and described with relation to each other, for the purposes set forth.

CHARLES A. SMITH. FRED. D. SMITH. Witnesses:

N. COWLEs, J. H. AVERY. 

